Lawson collected the personal hardware, the Cousy Award, late morning. Come prime time, he tormented Michigan State and led North Carolina to its fifth NCAA basketball title.

Neither distinction is debatable. The Tar Heels' supremacy and Lawson's indispensable talents were never more evident than in their 89-72 conquest of the Spartans at Ford Field.

But as Monday night became Tuesday morning in North Carolina's locker room, talk turned to legacies and the future - those of Lawson, his teammates, his coach and their program.

Start with Lawson and Wayne Ellington, his running mate at guard. Both are juniors, and their return to campus next season would make the Tar Heels - they have four acclaimed recruits on the way - legitimate repeat threats.

But they're not coming back. You know it. I know it. Heck, they probably know it.

Neither bit on the question amid the celebration, and neither should have. But in returning for their junior seasons, Lawson and Ellington had two goals: Win the national championship and cement themselves as first-round NBA draft picks.

Check and check.

Ellington evolved from a one-dimensional, spot-up shooter to a versatile scorer. His 39 points and 8-of-10 accuracy from beyond the 3-point arc at the Final Four won him the event's award as the most outstanding player.

Lawson overcame the late-season toe ailment that sent fans into a lather, won $250 shooting craps at a Detroit casino, set an ACC standard for assist-turnover ratio (3.5-to-1) and silenced those who claimed he couldn't defend. His six assists and Final Four-record eight steals Monday overshadowed his game-high 21 points.

Indeed, Lawson should have been the MOP. Michigan State coach Tom Izzo wouldn't argue, considering that in two drubbings of the Spartans this season, Lawson had 38 points, 15 steals, 14 assists and one turnover.

"When you play a Connecticut, there's some people you can cheat off of, there's something you can do," Izzo said. "When you play North Carolina, there's nothing you can do. And I think Lawson says it all. When they struggled, almost lost a couple games when (he) was hurt, he does stir the drink."

Michigan State point guard Kalin Lucas was the Big Ten player of the year, but in two games against Lawson he missed 16 of 22 shots and committed seven turnovers.

"My mind-set basically was I wanted to slow down Kalin Lucas because he's the heart and soul of their team," said Lawson, the ACC player of the year and the Tar Heels' pulse.

While Lawson and Ellington appear ticketed for the NBA, Carolina freshman Ed Davis vowed Monday to continue his college career. Let's hope he means it.

A 6-foot-10 left-hander from Richmond, Davis arguably has more NBA upside than any other Tar Heel. But he weighs only 215 pounds and has never played more than 28 minutes in a college game. He's not ready.

"As he gets more physical, I think he's got a chance to be probably their next great, great one," Izzo said of Davis, whose father, Terry, played in the NBA.

The great, great one of the past four seasons has been Hansbrough, a three-time, first-team All-American. He departs as North Carolina's career leader in points and rebounds, and the No. 4 scorer in NCAA tournament history behind Duke's Christian Laettner, Houston's Elvin Hayes and Kansas' Danny Manning.

Like Laettner and Manning, Hansbrough exited in style - as a national champion.

"Staying in school was the best decision I ever made in my life," he said.

His teammates and coach were driven to make it so.

"I desperately, and it's not war and it's not the economy or anything, but I desperately wanted this championship for that young man," coach Roy Williams said.

"He's going out the right way," Thompson said. "For all the things he's accomplished in his career, this was the only thing missing. Now he's a legend. I mean, he was a legend before this, but now he is really a legend."

As is Williams. In six seasons at North Carolina, Williams has won as many national championships (two) as Dean Smith did in 36.

Williams blanched at the linkage with his mentor and former boss.

"Roy Williams and Dean Smith don't fit in the same sentence," he said. "I really believe that. I'm not being humble. ... I've got an unbelievable staff. When I'm about to mess something up, they take care of me."

True enough, but with Williams as caretaker, the program is secure. This team is set to disband, but the Tar Heels will return to the Final Four, sooner rather than later.